All's Fair in Love, War and Literature
by silverducks
Summary: Rummaging through her father's library, Sybil discovers a way to matchmake her eldest sister and their fourth cousin. Set after the war, AU after series 1.
1. Chapter 1

_ This is quite a random story which I had the idea for weeks ago and finally decided to get around to writing this weekend. It was meant as a fluffy one shot, but it's turned out rather angsty and so long I'll have to do a few chapters! That being said, I hope you enjoy reading it and please review! I love knowing what you think, good or bad. _

_ ETA - I'm picking up this story again and, now that we've had series 2, it is rather AU. I hope you enjoy reading it anyway!  
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><p>Mary, Matthew and Sybil sat awkwardly in the large and majestic library in Downton Abbey. Once all the usual topics of conversation had been exhausted, from the lovely spring sunshine to the state of health of the relatives, the conversation had somewhat ground to a halt. If Matthew had known how long the awkward silence would continue for, he never would have accepted Sybil's kind invitation to wait in the library for her father. He only wanted a quick word with Lord Grantham and had rather used the reason to visit him as an excuse to take a nice walk on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. He just had a few queries about the renovations to the workers cottages, which had begun once more now that the dreadful war had finally ended and peace had been declared last autumn. When Mr Carson had reported that his Lordship was currently walking the grounds with her Ladyship and his labrador, and would be returning in the next hour, Matthew had quickly refused Carson's offer to find him and announce Matthew's arrival. It was after all, a trifling matter of business and so Matthew considered returning again later that afternoon or tomorrow.<p>

However, he was just about to say his goodbyes and thanks to Carson, when Sybil appeared from the library. She had heard Matthew's arrival and was quite eager to see him, so she hurried towards the door and greeted him, entreating him to stay and wait in the library. Her kind and welcoming words had been enough to convince Matthew to remain and wait for Lord Grantham, though he had adamantly refused the offer of tea being brought, not wanting them to go to any trouble on his account. He regretted that decision now though; at least the distraction of drinking tea and eating cakes and sandwiches would have provided some excuse for breaks in the conversation, and perhaps may have even provided conversation itself. Of course, if Matthew had known how things would turn out, and that he would find Lady Mary sat in the library reading, he would have declined even Sybil's kind invitation immediately. As it was, Matthew didn't notice her presence in the library until Carson had shown him in and Sybil, entering behind him, had called to her. Mary had been sat on one of the large red settees, facing away from the door, with her head down and her back towards them. She'd looked up and turned around in her seat at Sybil's words and the surprise on Mary's face must have been clearly reflected in his own. He could hardly turn down the invitation then though, and so he'd had no other choice but to speak a few pleasantries and sit down on the settee opposite her, with Sybil settling down beside her sister.

And so it was that Matthew found himself caught in an awkward and uncomfortable silence in the middle of the enormous, cavernous library, which only seemed to echo and intensify the silence between them. Despite Sybil's enthusiasm on seeing him, he was very much aware that he was intruding on his cousin's privacy and that he was stopping both from reading. Mary herself had seemed rather displeased at his unexpected arrival and he had obviously interrupted her quiet solitude which, unlike her sister, he had not been invited to. She was too polite and well mannered to say anything, or to continue reading with Matthew present, but this only made Matthew feel all the more uncomfortable and unwelcome.

Of course, being in Mary's company had never been easy or straightforward, even before he'd fought in the ghastly and horrific war. Since he'd returned, and he thanked the Lord every day that he had, with only a deep scar on his back and another across his brow, things between him and Mary could only be described as civil at best. They spoke to each other when they were required to, polite civilities and mundane words, the rest of the time they avoided each others eyes and company. It wasn't often that they met now anyway; Matthew and his mother rarely ventured up to the great house and dinner invitations were not frequent. It wasn't that the great family at the Abbey were trying to avoid them, but that they'd adapted to a rather more simplistic way of life during the war and, even now, extravagant dinner parties were few and far between. This suited Matthew very well, as it meant there was little chance for him to find himself in her company.

Matthew didn't regret his decision to continue at Downton after the war; moving to Manchester seemed somewhat irrelevant now, after all that had happened, but he had been resolute that if he did stay, it would be his way. He had determined that he would no longer allow himself to be a puppet to the Grantham family and had been adamant that he would not only go back and continue his work as a lawyer in Ripon, but would conduct his life on his terms. The war had surprisingly given Matthew a refreshed sense of independence and control and he was glad that Lord Grantham had not taken offence at Matthew's more stubborn attitude in his learning from him the matters concerning the great estate. On the contrary, the Earl seemed to respect Matthew's wishes and his need to take charge of his own life again and they had actually grown closer since Matthew had returned. Whilst Robert had not fought in the battlefields of France in this war, he understood from his past memories of warfare what effects it could have on a man's life and their shared experiences had further increased the respect they had for one another.

Whilst Matthew had found the balance of spending more time with Lord Grantham, and less time with his family, quite acceptable, there was still one major disadvantage to remaining in Downton, and that was the beautiful lady sat across from him in the library. Her body was twisted round towards the window and her gaze was distant, detached, giving Matthew the rare opportunity to look upon her beautiful face unobserved. Despite the four years he'd spent away from her, the four years he'd spent fighting in a gruesome and terrifying war, despite how much the experiences had changed him and scarred him, the simple fact remained that he was still, even now, deeply in love with Lady Mary. It was a fact that he'd tried to deny many times over the years, ever since the garden party when war had been declared and he'd renounced his offer of marriage towards her.

His time away in the war had helped to dim both the painful and pleasant memories he'd had of her and the anger, bitterness and regrets, which plagued him whenever he thought of what had happened between them, had helped to fuel his own desire to become indifferent towards her. But it wasn't enough, it would never be enough. Even through the terrible experiences of horrific warfare and bloodthirsty battles, she'd been ever present in his thoughts and in his dreams. The memories of her had simultaneously given him the reckless desire to throw himself into oblivion so he'd be free of her and the strength of mind to want to continue fighting, surviving, in the hope that one day he may see her again. And he had seen her again, briefly in his few visits home during the war and then when peace had been declared and he'd finally been allowed to return home for good.

Matthew remembered clearly what had happened when he'd first seen her again. He remembered not knowing what to expect, how to behave and how things would be between them and these worries had troubled him as he'd prepared for dinner at the great house that evening. When he'd seen her before, in his rare visits home, she'd been so formal and distant towards him, as if nothing had ever happened between them. As if she hadn't, so long ago, kissed him so tenderly and considered his proposal of marriage. That meeting, that night, had been no different and her icy, reserved, almost heartless demeanour, when the rest of her family had been so welcoming and delighted to see him again, had caused all the anger and bitterness and frustration Matthew had felt towards her to burst forth. He'd been lucky to even survive, to even be standing there, in front of them, and all she could do was politely greet him and avoid his eyes and his conversation. He wasn't sure what he had hoped for, but some reaction, any reaction, from her was better than that, that coldness and detachment, as if nothing had ever once existed between them. The feeling of betrayal had mixed with his frustration and bitterness and it had helped him build up a front, to keep himself distant from her and to hide his feelings and thoughts away. Even now, many months later, those feelings still remained and plagued him whenever he thought of her. He held onto them though, took comfort in his bitterness and anger towards her, even encouraged it, for it made it far easier to hide what he truly felt for Mary, both from her and from himself.

It did not, however, make it easy to think of stimulating conversation and, as the silence grew among them, Matthew wondered if perhaps he should just go. He was just about to make his excuses and leave, when Sybil suddenly started speaking and tore him from his painful memories.

"Whilst you are in the library, Matthew, perhaps you may find some books you'd like to read. I know papa would be only too pleased for you to borrow some." It was a pretty dire conversation starter, Sybil knew that well enough, but she'd been struggling for something to say for a while now. It wasn't like Sybil to struggle to maintain discussion, but when her sister and Cousin Matthew were in the same room, and their dark and despondent moods descended, it could stifle anyone's optimism and cheerfulness. Normally, when the whole family were present, there were enough people to keep the conversation flowing and they'd all learnt very quickly to ignore Mary and Matthew and their misery. Occasionally, they tried to bring them into the conversation, but for the most part, they let them be, with their eyes cast down, their faces hard and their countenance melancholy. With only Sybil present now, it was up to her to keep them entertained and she herself was feeling quite dispirited that she was failing in that duty. She was determined to keep trying though, not only because she did usually enjoy her cousin's company and didn't want to discourage it, but because she, unlike the rest of the family, had not yet given up the hope that a reconciliation was still possible for her cousin and sister. Matthew's head, suddenly turning from her sister towards her as she spoke, only reinforced Sybil's resolve.

"That is very kind of you, Sybil," Matthew replied, hoping his voice didn't sound too relieved that someone had finally spoken, or betray what his thoughts had been fixed upon a moment ago. "Perhaps you could be kind enough to recommend a few books to me." He looked around at the many walls, shelves and tables stacked with books in admiration and awe. "With such an astounding and magnificent collection as this, I wouldn't know quite where to start!"

"I'd love to," was Sybil's enthusiastic response, pleased to have found a subject of interest to Matthew. As she stood up, she couldn't fail to miss Mary's reaction. She'd been staring into the distance for a while now, obviously worrying over some thought or other, for she was fiddling with her necklace. At Matthew's words though, her attention had been caught and she'd suddenly looked round at him. As Sybil had replied, a look of dislike and annoyance seemed to flash across her face and she glanced at Sybil disapprovingly. She looked as if she were about to say something, but thought better of it and instead returned to gazing distractedly out of the distant window. Sybil couldn't help but hide a small smile as she continued to stand, hopeful that she had seen a flicker of jealousy in Mary's eyes at the attention Matthew was giving her. All is certainly not lost! Sybil thought as she discretely collected the books she had been studying before Matthew had arrived. Feeling slightly self-conscious, she did her best to hide their titles from Matthew as she picked them up, before heading over to one of the great many shelves to return them.

It was Matthew's turn to hide a smile as he noticed Sybil carefully collecting the books. He had a feeling he knew what they were about and when she returned them to the section of the library Matthew knew was devoted to politics, his suspicions were confirmed. No doubt they were some less mainstream books on politics or women's rights and Sybil wanted to keep her study of them secret. He knew that whilst the Great War had caused her father to relent enough to give his consent for Sybil to marry the family's old chauffeur, he couldn't quite come to terms with his daughter's avid interest in politics and the suffragists'movement. Of course, Lord Grantham's allowance of the engagement of his youngest daughter with a chauffeur may have something to do with the honours and medals Branson had received during the war and that he was now studying politics down in London.

Sybil quickly put her books away before heading over to the fiction section of the great library. Her father always insisted that everything be kept organised and alphabetised in his library and if ever a book was out of place, it would not be long before it somehow found it's rightful position in the shelves once more. Whether it was her father or Carson who upheld this great discipline, Sybil did not know, but as a child she had taken much delight in deliberately testing her theories. Now, it made it easier for Sybil to see what books were present and which ones may appeal to her cousin. She ran her fingers along the spines, skimming titles and authors with little attention. It wasn't long before one book caught her eye though, the author's name grabbing her interest; Austen, Jane. Sybil smiled to herself as she remembered well how she'd devoured all of Austen's books and had read them many times when she was younger. One in particular had been her favourite and she pulled that one out now, opening the book to the first page of Pride and Prejudice. She grinned as she read the first line of the book and remembered how she had loved the characters; the handsome and proud Mr Darcy who had fallen in love with the clever and free-spirited Miss Elizabeth Bennett, though she had at first held Mr Darcy in little esteem and made her dislike of him quite apparent. Sybil found herself eagerly reading the first page again, quite forgetting that she was meant to be finding a book for her cousin. It was only when Mary called out that Sybil remembered her purpose.

"I thought you were choosing a book, Sybil, not reading one." Mary's voice was reproachful, but her expression was teasing and Sybil grinned in apology.

"Oh, I am sorry," she quickly apologised and turned to face her sister. Mary had turned back towards the window though and she was fiddling with her necklace once more, as if she was quite determined to avoid Matthew's eyes, which had focused on her as she had spoken. Sybil let out a silent sigh as she saw all too well that things between her eldest sister and her fourth cousin were far too similar to how they were when they had first met, so many years ago. Sybil remembered well enough the fierce, determined dislike Mary had taken towards Matthew when he'd first arrived and how things between them had been very cold, just like... Something suddenly clicked inside Sybil's head and she looked at the book in front of her in astonishment. She quickly snapped the book shut and a smile began to play across her lips as a new scheme started forming in her mind. There was another book by Jane Austen she had loved when she was younger and there it was, sat in its correct position on the shelf, leaning to one side as it filled the space left by its neighbour.

Trying to hide her smile and the joy dancing in her eyes, she quickly grabbed the second book and turned towards her sister and cousin.

"Matthew," she asked, trying so very hard to keep the delight and playfulness from her voice, "have you ever read any books by Jane Austen?"


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for still reading and for all the kind reviews. I hope you enjoy this second chapter, more are on their way. I better mention that there is a few slight spoilers for the story Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. _

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><p>Matthew's head snapped up in surprise at Sybil's words. Jane Austen? Well, he'd certainly heard of her, but hadn't she written fictional romantic stories? Weren't they mainly meant for female readers? Why on earth was Sybil recommending Jane Austen to him? As the questions Matthew was too courteous to ask ran through his mind, he did his best to answer her, as politely as he could, "I'm afraid I haven't, no."<p>

If Matthew hadn't been quite so surprised himself by Sybil's question, he might have noticed Mary's own reaction. She was surprised to be sure, but there was something that could be described as panic in her eyes for a fleeting moment and her gaze quickly flickered between Sybil and Matthew, before settling on her sister. Mary knew Sybil well enough to have the distinct impression she was up to something and it only took her a few moments, after seeing the first book in her sister's hands, to work out what. Too shocked then to think, Mary quickly exclaimed, "Oh Sybil, I don't think Cousin Matthew would want to read anything by Jane Austen!" As soon as the words had tumbled out of her mouth, Mary regretted them, especially as she caught Matthew's expression. His face had hardened and his eyes filled with bitter determination as he turned towards her.

"And why do you think I wouldn't want to read Jane Austen?" He asked, his voice tight and challenging.

"Well, they're not exactly comparable to Greek mythology." Mary answered, her voice equally cold as she looked at Matthew with clear defiance in her eyes, challenging him to retaliate.

Sybil sensed quickly that things were going very rapidly downhill and immediately jumped into the conversation. Walking towards him and keeping her voice light and cheerful she said, "I know they're probably not the usual things you read, Matthew, but I think you may like these two." She glanced at the two books in her hands and was about to hand them both to Matthew, when she changed her mind and said, "Perhaps you could try reading this one first." She handed him the first book she'd picked up and then continued, "You can borrow the second later if you wish."

Matthew took the book off her carefully, his face still riddled with confusion. "Pride and Prejudice." He read the title slowly, as if letting the words sink in. He looked at the cover, then up at Sybil's beaming face and he didn't have the heart to refuse. Even if he had, Mary's words then would have quickly changed his mind.

"I hardly think you will enjoy reading a women's romance novel, Matthew." Mary said dryly, her voice seeping with contempt and helping to mask the rising fear within her. She remembered all to well the story of Pride and Prejudice, despite not having read it recently, and she was rather concerned what Matthew would think upon reading it himself.

"And why shouldn't I, Mary?" Matthew asked her, "Or do you think that I am too boring to enjoy something more light hearted and entertaining?"

"Well, it's hardly the sort of book a gentleman would read!"

Matthew glared at her for a moment, before turning towards Sybil and making a show of smiling up at her. "I am sure Sybil would not have recommended it to me if she did not think it suitable for a gentleman." He paused then, but not long enough for Mary to formulate a response, "What, may I ask, is the story about, Sybil?"

Mary winced slightly at the question and was pleased Matthew's attention was not focused her way. She dreaded what summary Sybil would give and it was worse than she could have imagined.

Sybil had noticed the cold looks and words Mary and Matthew had passed between them and she had started to grow rather disheartened that her plan may not work. Matthew's question, however, gave her the perfect opportunity to set things in motion. She smiled as innocently as she could as she began, "Well, the main character is a young women called Elizabeth Bennett. She is the second eldest of five daughters and her mother is determined to marry them all off." Sybil gave a small laugh, as if to echo her thoughts of how preposterous the idea was. "Anyway, I don't want to give too much away, but..." Sybil paused, wondering how best to put the next bit, she didn't want to sound too obvious. "The main love story is about Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy, who don't like each other very much, not at first anyway." She paused again and looked innocently between the two, seeing if her comments had any effect. If it did, neither showed it; Matthew's eyes were fixed on her, as were Mary's, though she was fiddling with her necklace with so much vigour Sybil was almost surprised the chain did not snap. Sybil deemed it appropriate to continue and said, "Elizabeth didn't like Mr Darcy at first because she thought him too proud and because he insulted her upon their first meeting." She laughed merrily as she continued, "Hardly a good first impression I should think, for anyone."

"Indeed not," Mary remarked, her voice full of more bitterness and annoyance than she intended. "A true gentleman would know better than to insult a lady."

Matthew's eyes suddenly snapped towards Mary, the accusation she was making perfectly clear and he quickly answered defiantly, "Perhaps the gentleman was not aware that the lady could hear and did apologise as soon as he knew offence had been taken."

Matthew held Mary's eyes in challenge, but she could think of no remark to reply with and looked away, back at Sybil, who was looking curiously between the two. She did not fully know what had transpired when Mary and Matthew had first met and therefore did not understand this sudden increase in animosity between them. She replied, completely innocently, "Well, Mr Darcy didn't apologise, he was much too proud for that, but I don't think he thought Elizabeth could hear."

Sybil wondered again if perhaps this new scheme of hers was rather a mistake after all, but as she caught Matthew's eyes still looking resolutely at Mary, and her eyes so determined to look away, Sybil decided to take a chance. "I won't tell you what happens in the end, Matthew, if you would like to read it, but I do think you'll find it quite interesting."

Matthew was silent for a moment, waiting to see if Mary had any more opinions to share, but she held her tongue. Not that it mattered now anyway, Mary's earlier protests had made Matthew quite determined.

"Thank you Sybil, I should like to borrow it, yes." He noticed the second book she was cradling in her arms and asked, "What is this other book?"

Sybil smiled a bit bashfully then and dropped her eyes, before she looked back up again and answered, "Oh, it's another book by Jane Austen, which I think you may also find… _interesting_. Though I think perhaps you should read Pride and Prejudice first."

Mary looked at Sybil suspiciously; she was feeling distinctly worried about this second book and she suspected she knew what it may be. She craned her neck to try to see the title, but Sybil was holding the spine away from her. She could only hope that Matthew would not enjoy the first book and therefore would not be tempted to read this second. If Mary's suspicions were true, heaven knows what summary Sybil would give on that story!

Mary was tempted to try again at putting Matthew off reading, but before she could find a way to begin, her father appeared in the doorway of the library.

"Matthew!" he almost bellowed, as he walked in, "Carson told me you were waiting to speak to me."

"Yes, thank you sir," Matthew quickly replied, standing up and walking towards the earl to shake his hand, very pleased that the earl had finally arrived and that he would have to sit with his cousins no more. He didn't notice he still had the book in his hand though and suddenly felt a touch embarrassed as the earl looked at it with a mixture of amusement and confusion.

"Jane Austen?" Robert asked, looking up at his heir with surprise, it was not the sort of book he'd imagine Matthew would read.

"Oh, yes, sorry," Matthew answered awkwardly. Regaining his composure, he continued, "Sybil was kind enough to recommend it, she said you wouldn't mind me borrowing it."

Robert looked at his youngest daughter, who was beaming at him with a suspiciously bright smile on her face. He glanced back at Matthew and, noting how embarrassed he looked, Robert nodded, understanding dawning. "Yes of course, certainly!" He gestured to the table where the ledger was kept, "I ask everyone who borrows books to make a note of them, so if you wouldn't mind..." It was his turn to feel uncomfortable now, hoping that his heir didn't find it offensive that the simple action of him borrowing a book was so meticulously recorded.

"Of course, of course!" Matthew exclaimed, rushing over to the ledger and quickly putting his head down in the hope of hiding his growing embarrassment. He was almost tempted to not borrow the book after all, it certainly didn't sound like his cup of tea and it was all rather awkward, but a quick glance over at Sybil's smiling face, and a remembrance of Mary's earlier scoffing, convinced him it would be worth a read. After he'd filled in the information, he couldn't help but glance over at Mary. Now that he was no longer sat in her company, she'd taken up reading again, though Matthew couldn't help but think her concentration was almost too firmly fixed upon her book.

"Well now, let us not interrupt Mary and Sybil. Perhaps we could talk whilst strolling around outside?" Robert asked, motioning the large patio doors that led from the library into the gardens. "It does seem like too nice a day to stay indoors."

"Yes of course," Matthew answered, following the earl outside, still holding the book in his hand somewhat awkwardly.

As they left, Mary let her eyes drift from her book to Matthew's retreating figure. She sighed and glanced over at her sister. Sybil had sat down on the settee opposite her and had started to read the second book she'd found for Matthew. Mary was now able to see the title and her suspicions were confirmed. She wanted to say something to Sybil, but she didn't know quite what. She knew any mention of Sybil's plan would only bring to light that Mary was well aware that one existed and also the reasons why. The parallels were certainly not lost on her and she had a distinct feeling they would not be lost on Matthew either. What he would make of them though, was anyone's guess. Since he'd returned from war he'd been so distant towards her, and she so rarely saw him, that she didn't really know what he thought anymore. The war had certainly changed him, but it had not been able to change her feelings for him. Ever since he'd walked away from her at the garden party on the day war had been announced, she'd realised just how deeply she loved him and her heart had weighed heavily with regrets ever since.

Mary looked at Sybil again, but she was too absorbed in the book to notice and Mary held her tongue. It was all just a game to Sybil, she didn't understand how complicated things were between her and Matthew and, more specifically, she didn't know about Pamuk. During all the years Matthew had been away at war, Mary had thought about him almost constantly, her mind plagued with worries for his wellbeing and her heart aching with its loss. She'd done her best to hide it of course, from her family and from Matthew whenever he had come back to visit. Many times, whilst he'd been away, she'd tried to write to him. She'd written countless letters telling him the truth; about her feelings, about why she had delayed and, when she felt courageous enough, about her loss of virtue. She'd never been brave enough to send them though, all had ended up in the fireplace as she'd imagined his face, looking at her with disappointment and lost affection, with bitterness and regret and with hurt and anger at what she'd done. Since he'd returned, Mary had somehow managed to keep herself distant, remaining cold towards him to hide her true feelings. It was easier that way, easier to pretend that she did not care than to tell him the truth. For telling the truth would mean revealing all to him and she knew she would never have the courage now for that. Sybil couldn't know all this though, she couldn't realise that no amount of games or plotting would fix things between her and Matthew. Mary had accepted long ago that there would be no reconciliation for herself and her father's heir, but this didn't stop her heart from holding onto the foolish hope that one day, one day Matthew would give her another chance.

Determined to not let these bitter and melancholy thoughts consume her, Mary stood up and walked towards the window. She could see them in the distance, Matthew and her father, and, unobserved by anyone else, she gave herself the luxury of watching him and imagining things could be different between them. She could vaguely see the book tucked under his arm and Mary found herself dreading what Matthew would make of it.

"What book is that you're reading, Matthew?" Isobel asked her son as she sat down on the settee in their drawing room. She had finished writing all her letters now and had been quite curious at the book Matthew was reading. He seemed to be quite taken by it and at times she'd noticed him smiling at the words within.

Matthew looked up from the pages in surprise. "It's a book Sybil recommended yesterday, when I was waiting for her father in the library." He paused, suddenly feeling rather embarrassed to mention the title. "It's called Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen."

Isobel raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Jane Austen? Seems like a strange book for Sybil to suggest. I wonder why she did?"

Matthew nodded, but didn't answer his mother's question. The more he read of the book, the more Matthew was suspicious of just why Sybil had wanted him to read it. He wasn't about to reveal his theories to his mother though and instead turned his eyes back to the pages.

"Are you enjoying it then, Matthew?" Isobel asked a few moments later, curious to know her son's opinion on this particular piece of women's literature.

"I am actually, it's rather good," Matthew replied with an embarrassed smile. "I'm finding the character of Mr Collins rather interesting though."

It took Isobel a few moments to remember who the character of Mr Collins was. It had been many years since she'd read the book herself and her memory was rather sketchy. She did remember a few moments later though and, amidst all the thoughts that suddenly swam through her mind, the only words that came out of her mouth were, "Ah yes, Mr Collins. Isn't he the clergyman who's to inherit the girls home?"

Matthew looked up at his mother, his expression unreadable, though his voice was hard, almost tense, as he replied slowly, "Yes. Yes he is."

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><p><em>Have you guessed the second book yet?<em>

_As ever, reviews are very, very welcome, be they good or bad!_


	3. Chapter 3

_I can only offer a massive apology for leaving this story so long to update. I got distracted by other fanfics and fandoms and then completely forgot what I'd planned for this. I've decided to pick it up again now and thankfully have remembered the plot of the story. _

_It is now a definite AU and diverges from the show after series 1. Saying that, I hope you enjoy reading the story and I definitely promise not to abandon it again! Oh and there a few, very minor spoilers for Pride and Prejudice. And special prizes to those who can guess the various references!_

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><p>It was exactly a week later when Matthew found himself next at the great house. It was a Saturday evening and he and his mother had been invited to a lavish dinner party, no doubt with numerous distinguished guests from around the county. Matthew would have refused, only with it being a weekend he had no work commitments as excuses and dinner parties were so few and far between now, it would have appeared rude to not attend. So here he was, once again, Carson helping him out of his jacket and his dress tie once more pulling at his neck, though he resisted the urge to fiddle with it. He knew his mother was watching him curiously, like she was ever want to do whilst he was in this great house, but he avoided her eye and instead tapped nervously on the book he held in his hands. He had hoped to arrive here early, to return the book he had now finished before the other guests arrived and saw him, but they had arrived too late. Before Matthew had chance to decide whether he could sneak off to the library now to return the book, or whether it was considered good or bad etiquette to give it to Carson, the drawing room opened and the dinner guests appeared.<p>

"Ah, there you are Matthew, Isobel," Robert greeted as he walked towards them, at the front of the line of people. "We were beginning to think we wouldn't see you. As it is, you have arrived just in time, for dinner is now to be served."

"Yes, sorry we're late," Matthew apologised as he shook the Earl's hand in greeting. "I'm afraid mother was late returning from the hospital."

"Oh dear, nothing serious I hope?" Robert asked Isobel in concern.

"Just a young boy, injured in the fields today," Isobel replied. As she noticed the Earl's eyebrows furrow in concern, she quickly added, "But he is safe and resting now."

"Good, good," Robert answered, his smile brightening once again. "I am pleased to hear that, and that you were able to arrive in time."

"Yes, how lucky we are to be graced with Nurse Crawley's company this evening," the dowager countess said dryly as she came up behind her son. "I am surprised the hospital can survive releasing you this evening, as they cannot seem to function properly without your assistance."

Isobel was about to open her mouth to reply, when Cora quickly stepped forwards, her smile a little too bright. "Yes, it is indeed thankful that you are here in time. But we mustn't keep the servants waiting." She looked pointedly at her mother in law and began to hastily move towards the dining room, the guests following behind. There were a few glances thrown at the older ladies, but they were far too well bred to make any comment themselves. Or perhaps, Matthew thought to himself, they knew better than to become involved in any battles between Mrs Crawley and the Dowager Countess. It seemed that even after 4 years of a horrific warfare, there were some things that never changed. His faint smile dropped though as the people continued past them and he found his eyes falling upon Mary. He had made a deliberate effort of avoiding looking her way since they had arrived, but now she was in front of him, he could ignore her no longer. She looked as stunning as always and once again Matthew felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of her. He caught her gaze and he found it impossible to look away from the defiant, challenging look in her beautiful eyes.

"What have you there, Cousin Matthew?" Mary asked suspiciously as the other people filtered past, a faint mocking tone in her voice.

Matthew looked down guiltily at the book still in his hands, which he'd pushed behind his back as soon as the drawing room door had opened. "A book… the one I borrowed," Matthew answered awkwardly, momentarily flustered by her appearance and his embarrassment.

"Ah yes, Pride and Prejudice." Mary smiled haughtily, "By Jane Austen, the renowned writer of women's romance."

"Err…" Matthew began very inarticulately, feeling somewhat guilty to be caught trying to hide the infamous book.

Before he had time to formulate some kind of witty retort though, Sybil, who had stayed behind with her sister, asked, "Did you read it, Matthew?"

The question was enough to break him out of his embarrassment and he looked up, but deliberately away from Mary, towards her sister. "Yes. Yes I did, thank you." He gave Sybil a warm smile and missed the way Mary's eyes narrowed at her sister.

"And what, pray tell, did you think of this women's romance novel, Matthew?" Mary asked, her voice still haughty, faintly mocking.

"I enjoyed it greatly, thank you Mary," Matthew replied, keeping his voice as polite and cordial as he could manage. He looked up towards her, meeting the challenge in her eyes, unflinching. He smiled at her and was rewarded with seeing her own bright expression slip momentarily at his quick and cheerful reply.

Mary was quick to recover her composure and was going to ask another question to embarrass him, but she did not have the chance. His mother was already starting to make her way towards the dining room and, as the other guests had now all but disappeared inside, they really had no choice but to follow.

Matthew did not follow at first, though, for he was caught in a quandary. He turned the book around in his hands for a few moments, wondering what to do, when he was saved by Carson.

"Sir?" He asked, holding out his hands for the book, his countenance as upright as ever, though Matthew didn't fail to miss the quirk of the butler's lips as he took in the book title. "I can return it to the library for you, if you no longer have need of it?"

"Yes, yes of course." Matthew quickly handed over the book, feeling his embarrassment return and glad to be rid of the thing. It seemed the whole house would know of his choice in literature before the week was out. He turned back towards the dining room and noticed Mary lingering behind, watching with that infuriatingly haughty look upon her face. Matthew narrowed his eyes at her and, as she turned and began walking again towards the dining room, Matthew begrudgingly followed.

Their slightly late appearance was met with a few curious looks from the people around the table, but thankfully the seating plan seemed to have deliberately sat Mary and Matthew apart. Mary was motioned to an empty seat beside her sister and an elderly gentleman from the estate near Ripon. He was already married so Mary could at least not worry about that. During the war, her mother had become somewhat lax in her mission to find Mary a husband; for any potentials were not only mainly away at war, but there were plenty of other things to occupy her mother's thoughts. Now the war was over, and with Mary fast approaching her thirties and the label of permanent spinster, she had a feeling it would not be long before her mother started expecting her to marry the man seated next to her at dinner once more. At this thought, she found her gaze seeking out Matthew. He was sitting with his mother on one side and a pretty blonde girl on the other who Mary did not recognise. She was smiling far too much at the future Earl of Grantham and Mary found herself not liking this upstart young women one little bit.

Sybil had caught her gaze and, ignoring the decorum of dinner table talking, she leant towards her sister and explained. "Her name's Georgiana. She's the daughter of Lord and Lady Finston."

Ah, Mary thought, suddenly recognising the uncouth young girl with the strawberry blonde hair. She had not seen her since she was a child, as for many a year she had been sent abroad to a school in France and then a finishing school somewhere down near London. They don't seem to have made much of an impression, Mary thought as the girl let out a most unladylike laugh at something Matthew had said. She doubted the joke would have been particularly funny, considering its creator and the loud giggle caught the attention of those around the table. Matthew looked up a little bashfully and caught Mary's eye for a moment. She resisted the urge to look away and instead held his gaze, her eyes mocking. His own eyes hardened and he looked away, once more turning to the blonde attention seeker by his side.

For the rest of the meal, Mary found herself watching them from the corner of her eye whilst doing her uppermost to entertain the elderly gentlemen next to her. They were getting on far too well for Mary's liking and she couldn't help but remember several stories about the lady, rumours of unsuitable lovers and a near elopement with a close family friend. Still, Mary doubted any rumours about this Georgiana could be as bad as her own scandalous past and she knew for certain that those rumours could not be denied. Matthew happened to glance her way in that moment and this time when he caught her eye, she did look away in shame, down at her food which she pushed around her plate. She felt his eyes boring into hers for several moments, as if he was trying to read her thoughts, and she kept her eyes focused downwards, keeping her face straight. Would he haunt her forever, the ghost of Pamuk? Even now, many years later, she still lived in the shadow of her shame, the knowledge that she was damaged goods. And even without this scandalous past, she doubted Matthew would ever consider her again, not when she had broken his heart all those years ago, and not when he had pretty young ladies with sweet smiles and strawberry blonde curls touching his arm quite brazenly.

Seeing this in the corner of her eye, and hearing another high pitched giggle echo around the dinner table, sparked off Mary's annoyance and she pushed away her dark thoughts and focused on revenge. For what, she was not sure, though she couldn't help but wonder what the others around the table were making of this young lady and judging by the way their eyes kept on glancing towards her, they were curious as to her own reaction. Remembering Matthew's initial embarrassment at being caught with the book, she put on her sweetest, most enigmatic smile and announced across the dinner table, "I have been reading the story of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. Does anyone know it?" Mary barely listened to the few startled murmurs and affirmations around the table, before she continued merrily, "But of course, my cousin, Matthew, knows the story very well, do you not, Matthew?"

At the mention of the book, Matthew had first looked up startled, his expression a combination of guilt and embarrassment, but it started to turn cold as soon as he heard Mary say his name. He guessed her game quickly, but he wasn't sure of the source, why she sought to embarrass him here, in front of all these people. He was used to Mary's ways by now though, and by the time all the faces of those at dinner party had turned towards him, his face was hard as he narrowed his eyes at Mary and his retort was ready on his tongue. "Yes, I do indeed, Cousin Mary, for I finished reading it only this week, as well you know."

"Matthew? You've read a book… by Jane Austen?" Edith asked incredulously. She looked about to continue in her questioning when her husband seated next to her gently put a hand on her arm in polite warning.

"Yes, I have, Cousin Edith. Your sister, Sybil, was kind enough to recommend the book to me last week when I was visiting your father."

Matthew smiled brightly at Edith, then Sybil, a far too good imitation of her own expression for Mary's liking. Still, she had the attention of the whole dinner party now and she was not going to be defeated by Matthew. "And you enjoyed it greatly, I hear?"

"Yes, I did, thank you," Matthew answered cheerfully, trying to ignore the obvious scorn and sarcasm in her voice. "It was a very interesting book. I'm glad I didn't let my _prejudices_ stop me from reading it."

There were a few faint chuckles from around the table at Matthew's pitiful joke, a rather hearty one from her father and another high pitched shriek, Mary didn't think it could be classed as a laugh, from Lady Georgiana. Her expression hardened for a moment and she couldn't stop herself from scowling at Matthew. She quickly regained her composure and continued, "And I hope you are not too _proud_ to admit your favourite character, Matthew. Or shall I hazard a guess and think it be Mrs Bennett." With a chuckle and a dismissive flourish, she picked up her wine glass and took a delicate sip, unlike that Georgiana who seemed to knock her wine back like it was water and she was in the desert.

"You may hazard as many guesses as you like, Mary, but I am not too proud to admit that my favourite character is the main heroine, Elizabeth Bennett. My least favourite character…" Here he made a pointed effort of looking at Mary, "is Miss Bingley."

Mary blinked in surprise at his answer, the significance not lost on her and to hide her annoyance at his insinuation she took another glass of her wine. She tried to think of a suitable retort, for the rest of the guests had paused in their eating and were watching them both intently. She did not, however, have time to formulate a reply before he continued in feigned politeness, "Though I did find the character of Mr Collins most interesting."

At that, Mary had to try hard not to choke on the wine she had just sipped. Mr Collins! Heavens, why would he bring him up, of all people? He was looking at her intently now, challenging her and Mary refused to back down. "Ah yes, Mr Collins," Mary replied smoothly a moment later, recovering quickly and smiling sweetly once more. "The insufferable man who is to inherit Mr Bennett's estate, for he has only daughters. Did not the mother intend to _push_ one of the daughters on him?"

She felt a small measure of triumph as the slight hit its mark and a flicker of displeasure crossed Matthew's face. Mary knew she was being childish, insulting Matthew in this manner, but at that moment Mary was far too focused on challenging him to care. Perhaps it was in part due to fear, for Mary had been wondering all week what Matthew would think of the book, and what parallels he would draw. If she could maintain her indifference towards him, even becoming hostile, she hoped he would relinquish any ideas he might have and suspect her true feelings no more.

And so, Mary would have continued whilst she had the upper hand, but at that moment her mother began to speak, "Mary, I think we all know the story of Pride and Prejudice." Her voice began harshly, but then she forced her face into a smile and gave a small chuckle, "I don't think we need to discuss literature at the dinner table."

Edith let out a loud scoff at her mother's rebuking comment and subsequent efforts to rein in the peace and maintain decorum. "Well, it's better than Mary discussing Greek mythology, mama!" This time, Evelyn didn't bother to check his wife and instead merely tried to hide his smile as she continued, "I think Mary shocked us all enough with her story of Andromeda!"

"Indeed." This time it was the Dowager Countess who wanted a share in the conversation. "I think discussing literature should be included with politics and religion as topics not to be discussed at the dinner table."

"Yes, I think it best topics like that be saved until the drawing room, so we can all enjoy our dinner hospitably." The Earl's words seemed to be the end of it, and a barely masked glare from both her mother and father held Mary's tongue, for now. Still, she couldn't resist one last, defiant look at Matthew, who was still watching her quizzically, his eyes hard.

It took much effort for Sybil to hide her smile as she looked between her eldest sister and her fourth cousin. She wondered if they both realised how much they were behaving like the characters in the book. She didn't dare bring up the matter now, not when her father had clearly marked an end to the discussion, but she had already begun plotting. It shouldn't be too difficult to trap Mary and Matthew in a corner of the drawing room and bring up the book again. She picked up her fork and began eating the dessert now before her quickly, for she could not wait to see how that topic, away from the ears of the other guests, would go.


End file.
